Competitions › Elizabeth Connell Prize
Elizabeth Connell Prize
Next edition
- Edition
- 2027
- Dates
- 5-8 April 2027
- Location
- Royal Academy of Music, London
- Registration deadline
- 17 January 2027 (applications open 1 December 2026)
- Fee
- AUD 100 non-refundable
Source: jsrbfoundation.com
Overview
Annual international prize established in 2014 from the legacy of soprano Elizabeth Connell, for female sopranos and mezzo-sopranos with potential for dramatic repertoire. After a video round, the live rounds and Grand Final take place at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
- Organiser
- Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation
- Instruments
- Voice
- Category
- Opera & general voice
- Age limits
- 2027: born in 1992 or later (female sopranos and mezzo-sopranos)
Rules & repertoire
Registration & fee
- Entry opens 1 December 2026 and closes 17 January 2027. Female sopranos and mezzo-sopranos born in 1992 or later may apply. Provide passport or official photo ID showing nationality; a driving licence is not accepted. The organizer sets specific eligibility and proof requirements for applicants from Russia and Belarus. The AUD 100 fee is non-refundable. The public checklist does not list recommendation letters.
- Submit five contrasting opera arias for possible live use, including one in German and one in Italian, and at least one by Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, R. Strauss or Wagner. Original key and language; each at most 8 min 30 sec. Operetta, oratorio and orchestral songs are excluded.
Rounds & time limits
Round 1 · video · two contrasting arias
- Send two video links. Use a performance or studio recording with piano or orchestra, keep your face clearly visible and do not enhance the recording. The video arias may differ from the five listed for the live rounds.
Rounds 2–4 · 5–8 April 2027 · London
- Quarter-final 5 April, semifinal 6 April, finalist rehearsal 7 April and Grand Final 8 April, all at the Royal Academy of Music. The public schedule and criteria give the five-aria pool but do not specify how many are sung in each live round.
Source: Official 2027 dates and criteria
Jury & prizes
Jury
- Dame Anne Evans (2025)
- James Black (2025)
- Fiona Janes (2025)
- David Gowland (2025)
- Bernadette Cullen (2025)
Prizes
- 1st: GBP 15,000
- 2nd: GBP 7,500
- 3rd: GBP 5,000
- 4th-6th: GBP 3,000 each
- Audience Prize: GBP 1,000
Past editions
Summarised from official sources, last checked 14 Nov 2026. Main source